Oliver Hermanus (Moffey) directs Bill Nighy in his Academy Award-nominated role as Mr. Rodney Williams, a humorless bureaucrat who receives a fatal diagnosis in 1953 in London. Kazuo Ishiguro’s screenplay was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, but was loosely inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s 1886 Russian novel The Death of Ivan Ilyich, his 1952 adaptation by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the Japanese movie Ikiru in 2004. (102 minutes)
glen Life wears us out with routines, repetitions, and monotonous tasks to fulfill our never-ending responsibilities. Wake up, work, eat, sleep, wash, repeat. Mr. Williams is a widow, trapped in a soul-crushing, paper-pushing, project-rejecting profession in the county’s public works department, but overseeing a cadre of young bureaucrats in a cramped office. Relentlessly polite but humorless, Williams runs a tight ship that gets nothing done. He then learns that he is about to die and begins experimenting with ways to live a more fulfilling life. Drinking and entertainment are temporary distractions. The true focus of Williams’ terminal transformation is to do something worthwhile with the time she has left. life Ultimately, it becomes an exhilaration and poignant celebration of a man who has found purpose.
Anna Bill Nighy deserves a win, not just a nomination for this performance. His son and his daughter-in-law may live in the same house as him, but they are worlds apart. He’s respected at work, but it’s not a pleasure, after all, he’s just a cog in the government’s broken machinery. Wood) and they spend the day together. Mr. Williams gets a glimpse of what life is like when he actually lives his life. This movie may feel slow to some. It’s really introspective. I personally loved every minute. Small moments make great stories. What a wonderful reminder that life is meant to be lived.
glen Nye is spectacular in the role. His performance is deeply internalized. After all, he plays a stoic, down-to-earth, very formal gentleman. Even without words, I can understand how he feels. After Mr. Williams’ death, the film’s third act does most of the narrative’s emotional heavy lifting as various characters recall the moment they discovered his transformation. A flashback recounts the scene when Mr. Williams, accustomed to acquiescing to his superiors at the courthouse, rose to his feet and fought back with nobility and humility. For example, Public Works’ he is very devastating, such as when Peter Wakeling (Alex Sharp) recounts Mr. Williams’ apparent happiness, such as when he ran into the constable who last saw Mr. Williams alive. there is a moment Just thinking about it fills me with happiness and sadness. It’s a beautiful film, worthy of Kurosawa’s 1952 masterpiece.
Anna It makes me think. If you have a few months left to live, would you like to know? What would you change? For Mr. Williams, his diagnosis evokes memories of his life. He and his father came home from the war and met his wife at a baseball game. It all reminds him of what life is, not just what it was. Be it your time, your ideas, or whatever little power you have. Not only are the performances pure gold, the film is simply beautiful. Key Eyes made these sets and costumed these performers. △
Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and Freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Glenn edits the list. Please comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
